1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to passively movable novelty articles, and more specifically to a flexible, elongate device for attaching to the rearward portion of a motor vehicle. The device includes a base plate which secures to the rear license plate mount of the vehicle, and an upwardly extending, laterally flexible arm for providing a lateral waving or wagging motion.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the huge numbers of motor vehicles on the road today, many vehicle owners and drivers look for ways to add a personal touch to their vehicles, without requirement for large expenditures of time or money. Many vehicle operators simply add a small flag, pennant, or other eye catching article at the upper end of a radio antenna, in order to make their vehicle stand out more visibly in a large parking area. Also, many sports fans will add the logo or other symbol representing their favorite sports team, in order to show their support for the team and solidarity with other vehicle operators who have decorated their vehicles similarly.
The overwhelming majority of such add-on devices are relatively simple, flat, temporary sheets of material which may be attached magnetically to the vehicle, or perhaps permanent decals. A relatively few three dimensional devices have been developed for attachment to a motor vehicle, and practically none of these devices provide any form of motion to attract additional attention. Of the devices which provide motion, most are active, i.e., they require some form of power source to drive the motive feature(s) of the device, rather than relying upon the motion of the vehicle. It has been demonstrated many times that an object in motion is noticed much more quickly than a stationary object, and such a movable object would thus be a more desirable means for attracting attention to a motor vehicle, for whatever reason. Yet, the known devices which provide such motion are relatively costly and complex, due to their active power requirements.
The present invention responds to this problem by providing a passively motile novelty device which secures preferably to the rear license plate mounting location of a motor vehicle. A rigid bracket extends rearwardly from the mounting plate, which is sandwiched between the license plate mounting area of the vehicle and the rear license plate. A laterally flexible arm extends upwardly from the rear of the bracket, to clear the vehicle structure. The arm may be decorated to resemble an animal tail, a sports team symbol (sword, baseball bat, etc.), or other elongate article as desired. Means are provided to adjust the frequency and amplitude of the passive lateral motion as desired.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 777,369 issued on Dec. 13, 1904 to Henry Hayes, titled xe2x80x9cMotor Vehicle Attachment,xe2x80x9d describes a full scale horse model which is attached to the front of a vehicle. The Hayes attachment was developed in the xe2x80x9chorseless carriagexe2x80x9d era, with the intent of making a motor vehicle appear as a horse drawn conveyance. The Hayes attachment teaches away from the present attachment, as the present attachment is adapted for attachment to the rear of a motor vehicle, rather than to the front. Moreover, the Hayes device is not supported completely by the vehicle, but rather extends forwardly of the vehicle with its front being supported by an additional wheel.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,635,770 issued on Jul. 12, 1927 to Otto R. Starke, titled xe2x80x9cTail Wagging Toy,xe2x80x9d describes a simulated pet animal with an internal spring motor to cause the tail to wag laterally. A brake normally holds the tail stationary, with release of the brake being achieved by pressure on the back of the simulated pet, as in petting or stroking the animal. This causes the tail to wag when the spring motor is wound. The Starke device is a stand alone toy, with no provision for attaching the toy to another structure. Moreover, the Starke toy provides only active motion, requiring the winding of a spring motor for operation. The addition of the normally engaged brake which requires action on the part of an individual, further teaches away from the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,531,634 issued on Sep. 29, 1970 to Cecil W. Plouch, titled xe2x80x9cFigurine Mount,xe2x80x9d describes a series of different mounting attachments for a figurine (animal caricature, etc.) attached to a motor vehicle. Plouch states that his figurine is capable of passive motion, but provides a rigid mounting shaft (bolt) which is secured to the vehicle structure. The only motion specifically described by Plouch is rotation about the mounting bolt; no oscillating lateral motion is provided. Also, Plouch does not provide a plate for mounting his figurine to the license plate mounting area of a vehicle, as provided by the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,086 issued on Mar. 25, 1975 to, Theodore W. Lee, titled xe2x80x9cWagging Tail Novelty,xe2x80x9d describes a three dimensional article representing the hind quarters of a dog, which is strapped to the tailgate or trunk area of a motor vehicle. An electric motor and drive system are provided within the device, to drive the generally horizontally disposed tail laterally in a horizontal arc. The motor is powered by batteries, and is controllable from within the vehicle. The Lee device teaches away from the present invention, as Lee indicates that his novelty is intended for use as a signalling device for waving at friends, and thus must be controllable. The present novelty attachment provides purely passive motion through the small lateral and other motions of the motor vehicle to which it is attached, as the vehicle travels down the road. Also, the generally vertical orientation of the present attachment provides considerably better visibility for the device than the horizontal orientation of most other devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,954 issued on May 29, 1990 to Anthony H. Levine et al., titled xe2x80x9cNovelty Figure With Attachment Means,xe2x80x9d describes a three dimensional figure resembling the rearward half of a small animal or pet (e.g., cat). The forward portion of the device includes a band extending therefrom, which may be secured between a trunk lid, door, etc., and the jamb thereof. The device when installed provides the impression that a pet has been smashed by closing the trunk lid or door thereon. No disclosure of any specific passive motion is made by Levine et al., and no means for active motion is provided. Also, the attachment means used by Levine et al. is completely different from that used for securing the present device to a vehicle, i.e., by sandwiching a base plate between the rear license plate mounting area and the license plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,940 issued on Aug. 27, 1996 to Robert P. Noone, titled xe2x80x9cStock Motor Vehicle Outfitted With A Sports Theme Kit,xe2x80x9d describes a large number of add-on devices (luggage carrier, decals, floor mats, seat covers, hood ornament, etc.) displaying the logo or other symbol of a sports team. While some of the devices provide for installation on the exterior of the vehicle, none of the exterior mounted devices provide any means for motion, either passive or active. Noone does describe a series of lights having a miniature football helmet configuration, which are suspended within the rear window(s) of a vehicle. While these devices may move passively due to vehicle motion, the motion is random, and Noone does not provide any specific configuration which provides lateral oscillation of an elongate vertical component.
U.S. Pat. No. D-131,351 issued on Feb. 10, 1942 to Fred Knapke, titled xe2x80x9cCar Emblem Or The Like,xe2x80x9d illustrates a design comprising a thin, flat plate having a representation of a baseball bat and ball across the top thereof. The design is purely two dimensional with negligible thickness, and is apparently formed from a single, flat sheet of metal. No means is apparent for extending the bat or other elongate component from the plate, or for allowing such an elongate component to oscillate laterally parallel to the plane of the plate, as provided by the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. D-316,027 issued on Apr. 9, 1991 to David L. Geeting et al., titled xe2x80x9cMounting For A Retractable Vehicle Cover,xe2x80x9d illustrates a design apparently comprising a base plate with opposed lugs extending therefrom, and a bar with a pair of pins which fit removably into the lugs of the base plate. No mounting is disclosed, nor is any means of oscillation apparent in the Geeting et al. design.
U.S. Pat. No. D-360,177 issued on Jul. 11, 1995 to Bill C. Derrington, titled xe2x80x9cSupport Prop For A Pivoted License Plate Unit,xe2x80x9d illustrates a design apparently comprising a simple arm which is pivotally attached to the free corner of a hingedly mounted license plate. The arm apparently swings upwardly to brace between the plate and the plate mounting area, to hold the plate away from this area for access to a fuel filler cap or the like. No lateral or other oscillation is apparent, and in fact such would not be desirable in a device intended as a rigid brace.
U.S. Pat. No. D-429,668 issued on Aug. 22, 2000 to Patrick M. Julian, titled xe2x80x9cFootball Hitch Plug With A Display Surface,xe2x80x9d illustrates a design apparently serving as a removable cover for a receiver type hitch on a vehicle. The exposed end of the design resembles half of a football. No means of providing motion of any sort to the design is apparent, nor is any means apparent for mounting the device to the rear license plate mount area of a motor vehicle, as provided by the present invention.
Finally, German Patent Publication No. 1,147,882 published on Apr. 25, 1963 illustrates a toy motor vehicle having a pet (dog) representation therein. A mechanism is provided for causing the pet caricature to move as the vehicle moves. The device disclosed in the German Patent Publication is strictly a small scale toy, and moreover, any motion provided is of the active type, with motion being transmitted through a series of gears. No external mounting of a passively moving device is apparent in the drawings of the German Patent Publication.
In addition to the above noted references, the present inventor is aware of various small devices available in the marketplace (dolls, etc.) having spring supported components, for securing within a vehicle to provide passive motion. However, none of the devices of which the present inventor is aware, are externally attachable to the vehicle to provide the specific passive motion provided by the present novelty device.
None of the above inventions and patents, either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
The present invention is a novelty device for attaching to a motor vehicle, to produce a passive motion in order to attract the attention of others, demonstrate support for a team or cause, etc. The present device comprises a base plate which is secured between the license plate mounting area and the license plate of the vehicle, with a bracket extending outwardly from the plane of the base plate. A flexible arm is attached to the distal end of the bracket, and extends upwardly therefrom. The arm is configured to be relatively rigid in the fore and aft direction relative to the vehicle, but to flex laterally to the left and right relative to the vehicle. The device is preferably installed at the rear license plate location of the vehicle.
The flexible arm may be encased in a flexible fabric or plastic sleeve in order for the device to resemble the tail of an animal, as in a team mascot or the like. Alternatively, the arm may be decorated or configured to resemble virtually any other elongate object desired (e.g., baseball bat, sword, etc.). The flexibility of the arm may be varied or adjusted by various means, such as providing a series of bends at the lower end of the arm in order to produce most of the flexing at that location. The frequency and amplitude of the lateral oscillations of the arm may also be adjusted, as by adding a bobweight or the like to the distal end of the arm, or to some intermediate point along the arm as desired.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a novelty attachment for the exterior of a motor vehicle, with the attachment having an upward extension for producing a passive lateral oscillation due to vehicle movement.
It is another object of the invention to provide such a novelty attachment having a base plate for attachment to the vehicle between a license plate mounting area and the license plate, preferably at the rear of the vehicle.
It is a further object of the invention to provide such a novelty attachment including means for simulating an animal tail.
Still another object of the invention is to provide such a novelty attachment including means for varying or adjusting the frequency and amplitude of the oscillations of the arm as desired.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.